Echo
by Sarah August
Summary: Bonnie attempts to kill Klaus before the sacrifice can be completed to save Elena. Elijah then steps into Klaus's place to kill the doppelganger. This results in changing the spell that John found to save Elena's life and there are consequences as well as some unexpected surprises. Elijah/Elena, Stefan/Elena
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Echo

Summary: 2x22 AU. Elena is set to die at the hand of Klaus, but Bonnie decides not to wait until Elena is dead to try and kill Klaus. It leads Elijah to take on a different role during the sacrifice. He still believes that in order to kill his brother Elena must die. Elijah takes his brothers place to ensure Klaus can die and kills Elena in Klaus's place. The change of plans changes many things. One is that John and Bonnie's spell to save Elena doesn't work exactly as planned to bring her back from the dead.

The witch came from the woods out of no where, catching the attention of Greta. The Martin witch tried to block the Bennett witch's spell, but she was killed by Damon Salvatore before she could raise a hand in defence of herself.

Elijah turned to see where his brother was. He was still hunched over Jenna Sommers lifeless body, prepared to take her heart from her. The newborn vampire died a horrible death at Klaus's hands, a death unworthy of such a kind and vivacious young woman she had been in her life. Jenna Sommers had deserved to die a very old woman surrounded by her family.

And so did the fair Elena Gilbert, but fate would be equally cruel when it came to her. Elena had to die in order for his brother to be vulnerable. If the doppelganger made it through this night, Klaus would not be able to be killed. It was as simple as that.

What was the Bennett witch doing? Did she truly believe that she could kill Klaus herself and live? Elijah couldn't afford to take that risk. He couldn't allow the sacrifice to stop when there was such a high chance of failing. Elena had to die.

Decided, Elijah would do the most unexpected thing of all in order to ensure everything went as planned. The others would never guess that he was more than willing to complete the last requirement to break his brothers curse.

Elijah would kill Elena himself.

Elijah moved using his vampire speed to approach the doppelganger from behind. Elena gasped in surprise, torn from watching Bonnie attempt to use her magic to kill his brother. His move stopped the witch cold, and Klaus ceased his screams from her attack.

"Elijah, what are we going to do?" asked a startled Elena.

Before he could tell her his plan the witch spoke. "Do it and I'll kill you and your brother both," Bonnie threatened.

Elijah moved fast and gripped Elena tightly in his embrace from behind her. She looked frightened and she should be of him. Elijah felt his teeth expose and he dug into Elena's neck like her flesh was made just for him to taste. Within seconds, Elena's life drained away, and he gripped her closely so her body would not drop to the ground upon her death.

"I'm sorry," He whispered into Elena's hair as she took her last breath.

It was then Elijah felt something within the air, something that wasn't supposed to be there. He thought maybe the witch had tried something after all to kill him for him daring to intervene on his brothers behalf. He managed to release Elena's blood as the last ingredient to complete the spell into the witch's pot before the strangeness in the air seemed to follow Elijah before feeling like his chest caved in. Elijah then collapsed beside Elena's body as Klaus felt nothing different at all.

* * *

Elena blinked and then gasped for air, her eyes wide in horror as she realized she was no longer at the ritual site and she was laying on a bed inside a well dressed bedroom that she didn't recognize. What left her horrified was the fact that Klaus was standing above her.

"What did you and my brother cook up exactly, little doppelganger?" Klaus pressed immediately, his eyes wild with repressed anger.

"What do you mean?" Elena hissed, still struggling for air. She then felt shook up when she remembered the events from the night before. She had died last night, Elijah draining her life from her, not Klaus. Yet she was here, she was alive. How did she survive? Was she a vampire? "Am I vampire?" She demanded of Klaus.

"Do you honestly believe that I would go to all that trouble to kill you just to make you a vampire?" Klaus then shouted at her.

"Then how am I still alive? I remember Elijah..." Elena then stopped herself, not trusting Klaus to tell him everything that Elijah had did.

Klaus then grasped her arm, hard. "What did my brother do, Elena?"

Elena cried out. "He drained me to continue the sacrifice..." She exclaimed and Klaus released her immediately.

"The witch interfered," Klaus said softly, seemingly to have memory lapses himself about the night before. "Your friend Bonnie tried to kill me before I could kill you."

"But how... I still don't understand. I was supposed to die."

"Well, I would ask Elijah what exactly happened, Elena," Klaus said, moving to the other bed inside the room and Elena stared at the scene before her in disbelief.

There was Elijah, dead, laying on the bed across from hers, with no dagger inside his chest.

"My brother dropped moments after he killed you, doppelganger," spat Klaus darkly. "Now tell me why I shouldn't kill you now myself?"

Elena couldn't honestly tell him a reason why. Elijah was dead when she should be. She couldn't explain it.


	2. Chapter 2

Klaus was about to strike out at Elena with a fist and he stopped himself at the sound of his brothers voice. Elijah, dead only moments ago, had recovered from whatever had been responsible for him dying along side the doppelganger in the sacrifice. "Niklaus, should you stoop so low?" snapped Elijah, rising from the bed across from Elena.

Elena turned around to face the other Original in the room and looked to him gratefully. "You're alright," She noted softly, sounding relieved.

"I've felt much worse," Elijah replied, smiling fondly at the doppelganger. Elijah then stood up from the bed and faced his brother. "Why do you still have Elena in your possession? She _has died_ for your cause."

"You tried something, with that witch friend of hers," hissed Klaus viciously. "What was it? Why did the doppelganger return from the dead Elijah?"

"The only one who I tried to assist last night was you, Niklaus. What happened as result, I honestly don't know. I was dead with her and now I am not. Release Elena, Niklaus. You got what you wanted so you have no reason to hold her here."

"That is just it, brother," growled Klaus nastily. "I was unable to release the spell that binds my werewolf side. The sacrifice failed. The doppelganger lived, and as did her dear beloved aunt Jenna..."

"What!" exclaimed Elena rather excitedly, shocked. She remembered watching Jenna die...

"Apparently I didn't finish the job before your little witch friend attacked me," Klaus informed her.

Elena wanted to run home to find Jenna. Tears of joy ran down her face. And Stefan... he was forced to watch her die. She longed to find him. Did he know that she was still alive?

"You can still release her Niklaus. You know where she lives and that she will not run from her family."

"Fine," growled Klaus. "But know this doppelganger, I will find you again."

Elena winced at the viciousness in the hybrid's voice. He was so different from Elijah, it was like night and day. Elena to her cue to leave, looking at Elijah again before leaving. She wanted to thank him, feeling he was somehow responsible for how things had turned out. "Oh, and Elena. Do say hello to Damon for me."

She looked at Klaus oddly but decided not to question him and fled the scene while she was still allowed too.

* * *

"Now that she is gone, do care to fill me in. I was a good boy, after all, and let your_ pet doppelganger_ go home."

Elijah blinked at his brothers hostility but decided to ignore it and get himself a drink at the bar in the corner of the room. Perhaps it would do good in the case to let Klaus believe what he will where Elena and himself were concerned. Did he care about her welfare? Yes. It was an oddly disturbing thought considering he had participated in her murder last night. Doing the final deed when his brother could not.

"Niklaus, there was a spell used to bring Elena back to life. I have a few contacts I would like to get in touch with to learn the specifics, and why the spell affected me as well. As of right now, I honestly don't know why, what or how it all happened. But Elena survived. And she is still human. That will be of use to you."

"How will that be Elijah? The moonstone is gone, destroyed by the spell for the sacrifice."

"But Niklaus, her blood. Her blood is the key for something else that you had in mind. I had the Martin's doing some research for me, and they discovered something important about Elena's blood. She is a supernatural but also still human. It was Tatia's blood that was used to make us vampires and Elena is a descendant of her doppelganger and a doppelganger herself. Her blood can be used to make you hybrids as it was Petrova blood that was used help you to become a hybrid, brother. So in short, this doppelganger is more useful to you alive than dead."

"My werewolf side is still bound, Elijah!" raged Klaus. He still refused to buy the argument.

"But nevertheless still there. It's a part of you. So who's to say you still can't make hybrids?"

Klaus looked thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps you are right." He finally said.

Elijah sighed inwardly. He had just bought the doppelganger more time to escape his brothers wrath.

* * *

"Elena!"

Stefan was there instantly to meet her inside the Salvatore doorstep, surprise and joy lit his face up. He gathered her tightly into his embrace and held her a long moment before letting her go.

"Damon said you survived and Klaus took you," Stefan whispered, kissing her softly.

Elena was taken aback slightly that Stefan already knew she had survived but he hadn't appeared to have been trying to find her. "Why didn't you..."

"Come beating down his door?" Stefan finished for her and she smiled slightly. "Elena, there's something you need to know..."

"I know, Jenna is okay... she's alive, right," Elena gushed excitedly.

"Yeah, Jenna is alright. Alaric is at your house with her. She's turned," Stefan told her uneasily. "And there's more... Damon..."

"What about Damon?" Elena pressed, worried at the sudden darkness that crossed Stefan's face.

"Tyler Lockwood bit him the other night. He's really sick with the aftereffects. Damon might die, really soon."

"What..." Elena felt floored by the news.

"And there's something else. Something we didn't get to tell you."

"What is it?" Elena asked shakily now.

"John and Bonnie found a spell to keep you alive. It involved binding your soul to John's upon your death. It had to be a parent in order for it to work, or at least, we thought so at the time."

"What's going on Stefan? Is John..." Elena stopped, unable to speak anymore.

"The spell worked. It brought you back. But it never used John as it's other host. It used a vampire instead. We think it was Elijah. He went down shortly after you did. He just dropped dead without anyone doing anything."

"And John..."

"He's okay," Stefan replied, smiling at seeing the joy upon her face.

"What about Damon..."

"I think I have an idea that will help him. Go home to your family Elena. I'll see you soon." Stefan urged her, happy for her.

"I'll come over tomorrow okay?"

Stefan nodded and she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena heard the sound of Jenna's nervous laughter coming from the kitchen and Elena smiled through tears at the sound. She had really believed that Jenna had died. In a way, she had. But at least she was still here. Elena shut the front door to the Gilbert house and went towards the living room but stopped suddenly. There stood John.

Uncle John, the distant, cold, detached uncle she had known and hadn't liked her whole life. But Elena suspected there had been many reasons why he had been that way with her. She couldn't imagine giving up a child, let alone giving it to another family member to raise while you watched from the side lines. It had to have been very difficult.

Had her parents known who her biological father was? Would they have ever told her the truth? Not that it had really mattered. Her parents had raised her as their own child, never giving any hint to her adoption. They had loved her entirely as theirs.

Yet here was the man she knew as her uncle John, who had just been willing to sacrifice his life to save hers without any question or hesitation. And without even telling her what he had planned to do, letting her still believe the worst of him, as long as she remained safe.

But instead her cold, detached uncle that had acted like he never cared about her life was this guy, who was her biological father, who loved her more than anything in his world. And he was the only parent she had left.

Even her biological mother Isobel had sacrificed herself in the end out of fear that Klaus could use her again to hurt her daughter or to do much worse.

Overwhelmed, wordlessly Elena fell into her happy fathers warm embrace, and cried.

And John Gilbert had the experience of holding Elena as his daughter for the first time in his life.

* * *

Elijah, readying to leave Mystic Falls, hopefully before his brother gets anymore ideas about using Elena in his plans. He had hoped that Klaus would want to leave Mystic Falls and regroup after the failure of the sacrifice. It would end up buying Elena more time until Klaus came to her to collect her coveted blood.

Elijah was most surprised to find Stefan Salvatore at the front door of Alaric Saltzman's residence. The history teacher had been smart to stay away from here until his brother was finished with his plans. Katerina had outsmarted his brother, managing to escape the apartment before they had returned.

"Stefan, I trust that everything is alright with Elena?" Elijah asked softly, hoping that Klaus wasn't paying attention to their conversation. His brother was just inside the apartments bathroom. They had returned the doppelganger alive. Surely that would have been enough to appease Stefan.

"Elena's fine," Stefan began awkwardly. "It's Damon. He's dying from a werewolf bite. I'm sure that either yourself or Klaus would know something about resolving that for us."

Elijah felt floored by this information, it bringing back some very unwanted memories of the past. It was a very dark and dangerous secret, kept between Klaus, himself and all of their siblings. Klaus would kill if the answer to Stefan's question got out. Would Klaus admit to Stefan the truth, and would he help him to save his brother? The answer to both was likely no. Would Stefan leave here after asking such things of his brother? The answer to that was likely no too.

"Stefan, I am sorry to hear about Damon, but we cannot help you. There is no cure to a werewolf bite for a vampire. Now I suggest that you leave while you still can," finished Elijah, ready to close the door, and hopefully spare at least one of the Salvatore brothers.

"Stefan, is that you?" asked Klaus softly, smugly in the background. Elijah sighed, reluctantly letting Stefan inside the apartment to face his brother.

* * *

"Now, why would you be foolish enough to come here, after I so nicely spared your beloved, permitting her to return to her life."

Stefan stepped in closer, nothing to lose. As much as he loved Elena, he couldn't just let Damon die without trying to save him. He had to do everything to save Damon. Even if it meant walking away from Elena for a very long time.

"It's Damon. You know that Tyler Lockwood bit him. I need a cure, Klaus."

"And what makes you think that there is one," Klaus countered, eyeing his brother dangerously in the background.

"There has to be," Stefan replied simply. He felt so lost at the prospect of losing his only brother. He had wished death upon Damon over countless life times, but it took until now for Stefan to realize that he didn't really mean it.

"Say that I could help you, why would I?" Klaus replied sadistically. "Saving your brother's life means nothing to me."

"You're leaving town," noted Stefan of the luggage and boxes that surrounded the apartment. "If you save Damon, I'll go with you. I could be of use to you. You're likely going to try and still lift your curse, I could be of assistance."

"And what use would you be, Stefan..."

"I know some witches in Chicago... they might know something on how to help you..."

"Gloria?" countered Klaus softly. "I know her and her family well. I think, however, I will accept your offer anyway, Stefan. Providing you do something for me first."

"Anything."

"Go fetch my doppelganger. I'm leaving town and you and Elijah are going with me, so I cannot possibly leave Elena here now, unattended."

"Damon would..." Stefan started but Klaus silenced him with a glare. "Elijah, go with Stefan to collect Elena. Ensure that everyone in the house will not go looking for her by morning. If you cannot manage that, or if anyone tries to stop you, kill them. The girl and her meddlesome brigade will get no further reprieves from me. There is too much that needs to be done."

Elijah nodded, accepting his brothers ruling without argument. There would be no saving Elena Gilbert tonight after all. Even if he had to kill her entire family, her beloved before him included, she would be leaving Mystic Falls tonight.

Elijah motioned for Stefan to lead the way to the Gilbert house. Reluctantly Stefan did.


	4. Chapter 4

The night came and Elena fell asleep gladly. Everything was so good with her family, but her heart ached whenever she had thought of Stefan and Damon. They only had each other and now, Stefan might lose Damon forever.

Damon dying was an impossibility to her. It brought on quick tears and deep sadness. Elena had grown to care a lot about Damon, and Elena didn't want him to die. Even after everything he had done, Elena didn't want him to die. The realization made Elena see that she had somehow managed to forgive Damon along the way of all the craziness he had brought into her life. And, simply, she didn't want him to die.

Elena fell asleep, lost to dreams about the Salvatore's. She was oblivious to Stefan lurking in the corner of her room, readying, whispering for her to wake up. Elena's eyes snapped open to the darkness and she turned around to see Stefan there. "Stefan?" She murmured tiredly.

"Come," Stefan commanded of her, holding out a hand to her.

Dread suddenly filled Elena up. Had something happened to Damon? Elena rose, slipping on her slippers before reaching for Stefan's hand in the darkness. It wasn't until Elena was outside her bedroom door with Stefan that she realized this wasn't Stefan at all who was leading her away.

"Elijah..." Elena hissed in the darkness, her eyes wide, showing sudden, rising fear. "What is this... what's going on?"

"I had hoped the compulsion would have lasted until we were outside at least," murmured Elijah softly, still firmly holding her wrist. "Come with me now, Elena, and you're family won't even realize that you've left. If you don't, well, I would hate to resort to my brothers methods to get things done."

Elena, eyes still wide, nodded, deciding to leave with the vampire that wanted to thief her in the night from her newly reunited family. Elena forced back tears before following Elijah down the stairs and out of the house.

* * *

Elena followed Elijah silently to his car, remembering the threat he made against her family. Elijah had rational where Klaus didn't, but she knew that he was very capable of being threatening and resorting to murder to serve his own purposes.

Elena froze upon seeing there was someone standing at Elijah's car waiting for them. A sense of betrayal filled her up that was so intense she wanted to burst into tears at the mere sight of him. Stefan. He was here with Elijah, helping him, but why?

There had to be a very good reason as to why.

Elena tried searching Stefan's face in the darkness, trying to see a clue, but he gave nothing away. "Did you manage to compel them Stefan?" asked Elijah. The original opened a car door for Elena for the front seat, and she reluctantly got in, but hanging onto Elijah's every word as she did so.

"Everyone in the house," said Stefan in reply and suddenly Elena had some hope. Stefan couldn't compel anyone very well due to his diet. He would have left a clue for someone in the house to learn what happened to her.

Stefan then got into the back seat and Elijah took the drivers side. Hopefully they would soon fill her in on what was going on.

* * *

Elena couldn't have been more surprised when they turned up at the Salvatore house again. Stefan removed a vile of blood from his jacket and vanished into the house without saying anything to her before he left the car.

Immediately Elena knew that it had to do with Damon, but she didn't know what it was. Elijah, sitting silently, seemed to read her thoughts. "It is a cure that will aid Damon to recovery, Elena," Elijah confessed and Elena felt her heart ease instantly.

"Can I go in too?" Elena asked softly, pleadingly.

"I am afraid under the circumstances I will have to say no," Elijah said in reply, no malice to his voice at all now. "I can afford to lose Stefan if he chooses not to hold up his promise to my brother and fail to return to us, however I cannot risk having you harmed in a crossfire if I am forced to stop not one, but two vampires from interfering with my plans tonight. It will not take long for Damon to recover, and he will become of aid to Stefan quickly."

Elena nodded, sighing regretfully. She understood Elijah's reasons for saying no. If she entered the house there was no way Damon would let her leave it to go with Elijah once he realized what was going on. And Stefan might not either for that matter if he was able to save Damon.

"Why has Stefan went along with you taking me to Klaus, Elijah?" Elena asked the question she had been dying to ask since they had left her house.

"He made a deal with my brother. If Klaus cured Damon, Stefan would go in his service in gratitude. However I suspect his decision also came from knowing that my brother intended to leave town with you no matter what became of Damon."

"But I died during the sacrifice," Elena argued, annoyance in her tone. "Why would Klaus need me anymore?"

"Because you came back from the dead, Elena," Elijah replied swiftly. "You weren't supposed to do that. The spell your friend and John Gilbert cast to save your life ended up rebounding onto another host, a host that couldn't possibly save you yet did. It changed the spell somehow, linking you to the other host, and helping you live."

"But if this host shouldn't have been able to save me, why did it happen anyway?"

"A friend of mine suspects that you managed to take a piece of the other host's soul with you when your spirit returned to your body, helping you live again."

"Who was the other host Elijah?" Elena pressed curiously, feeling a deep, powerful need to know the answer.

"I shouldn't tell you as we don't know if there are any side affects yet, and my brother has enough reasons to exploit you. He doesn't need anymore handed to him."

"But why does he need me now?"

"Your blood," Elijah replied, making a chill run through her. "It turns out your blood will help him make hybrids despite failing to unlock the spell that bounds his werewolf side."

"He'll make an army," Elena whispered, horror struck.

"So you can see why Stefan agreed to go along with my brother. If he hadn't, he'd likely never see you again."

Elena felt tears sting her eyes again. Elijah had not only kidnapped her, she was never going to see her family, anyone here, ever again. And Stefan had agreed to leave his life behind him forever so that he could be with her and try to keep her as safe as he could.

Stefan then suddenly appeared back into the car and they started to move. Elena had no time to ask Stefan anything.


	5. Chapter 5

They had arrived at a house in the middle of no where in the dead of night. It was Elijah who had taken her to a bedroom upstairs, offering to bring her food and letting her know there was a bathroom joining the bedroom that he had chosen for her.

She was allowed to leave her new bedroom and have access to the rest of the house, but the house was spelled which would prevent her from leaving the property without him. Elijah made no promises to her, no words to give her comfort. She was again a means to an end with his brother and there could be no changing that.

Elena thought of asking to see Stefan but sensed that wasn't an option right now. Was he avoiding her? Elena couldn't be sure.

After washing up, Elena eventually fell asleep on the bed inside the room.

Elijah had left her a tray on the table by the windows, deciding to leave it there in case she woke up during the night and wanted something. He paused only briefly at the door before exiting, watching her slumber, hating himself for betraying her again. And wondering to himself if there will ever be a time where he could stop.

* * *

"How long is this going to go on?" asked Stefan when Elijah entered the small living room of the house which was located in the back woods several miles outside of Virginia.

"Niklaus wants us to keep Elena here, for now," Elijah replied softly. "However, he will be expecting us to join him soon. We will be searching for potential werewolves."

"And wouldn't it be safer to just keep Elena in Mystic Falls with her family?" challenged Stefan, hate obvious in his tone. "Damon will be healed by now. He could watch over her."

Elijah shook his head. "Mr. Salvatore would try to keep her safe Stefan. I give you that, but your brother is reckless. He could end up making a decision that could ultimately lead Elena to her death. With us, at least I know that she is safe."

Stefan sat down on the sofa inside the room, staring into the fireplace. "I've betrayed her. I don't know how to even look Elena in the eye anymore."

Elijah, silently, stared into the fireplace as well, wondering the same about himself.

* * *

"You did this!" Jenna accused, upset. Rage was getting the best of her and Alaric tried to get between John and his girlfriend, mainly out of fear for John's safety. "I'm supposed to keep Elena safe and she's gone."

John blinked, still trying to digest the fact that Elena was gone, left in the middle of the night without saying anything to anyone. "She'd be with Stefan. He wouldn't just let her go alone somewhere," john offered softly.

"Rick, can you?" Jenna pleaded to Alaric and Rick sighed, knowing what Jenna meant. She wanted him to go to the Salvatore house to confirm if Stefan had left town with Elena. The last thing he wanted to do was leave Jenna, a new vampire alone, but he would go and check for her. "Alright," Alaric agreed, kissing her. Rick then shot a look to John that said to watch himself where Jenna was concerned while he was gone.

Alaric would send John to go and see where Stefan was, but he couldn't promise that Damon wouldn't kill Elena's father, especially if Elena and Stefan had suddenly decided to skip town. Damon's feelings where Elena was concerned had been edgy at best lately. His friend had fallen for his brothers girl and that would only lead to trouble for all of them.

Rick then grabbed his jacket and left the Gilbert house, silently hoping that Elena had just decided to stay with Stefan for the night. But Alaric suspected it was much more complicated then that. Elena wouldn't just leave home after nearly dying and nearly losing Jenna and John.


End file.
